The cytotoxicity and antiviral properties of Bursera simaruba against herpes simplex viruses (HSV-1 and HSV-2) were investigated through a bioactivity-guided isolation protocol. The plant material was fractionated using solvent-solvent partitioning, size-exclusion and thin-layer chromatography. The antiviral compounds present in the most active fractions were identified by means of LC-MS and NMR. Three different methods were compared during the evaluation of antiviral activity of samples. Four lupene-related pentacyclic triterpenes were found to be responsible for the anti-herpesvirus effects of B. simaruba and were isolated from this species for the first time. The selective indexes (SI) of B. simaruba-derived samples ranged from 7.7 to 201.9.
Keywords: Bursera simaruba; HSV-1; HSV-2; antiviral; pentacyclic triterpenoids.